Sonic Looking to Expand on the West Coast

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“Slush sightings” will soon be as common as “star sightings” in southern California, as SONIC Drive-In announced plans to open 15 new drive-ins in the market. The nation’s largest chain of drive-in restaurants has signed an agreement with existing franchise partner, SPG Management, to develop five new drive-ins in San Diego County and 10 new drive-ins in the greater Los Angeles area over the next six years.

“As we continue SONIC’s franchise development push across the country, we have opportunity to expand our footprint in the Los Angeles and San Diego markets,” says Mike Gallagher, vice president of development and franchising for Sonic Corp. “Our first drive-ins in southern California proved that local guests love the unique menu and experience we offer. The talented team at SPG Management is the perfect group to bring that experience to more people.”

SPG Management currently owns and operates five other SONIC Drive-Ins in southern California and is led by three principals: Max Gelwix, Frank Suryan, and Kasey Suryan. The Suryans bring valuable expertise in real estate development, while Gelwix brings highly relevant industry experience. Gelwix was a multi-unit Arco AM/PM franchisee and CFO for a contractor of McDonald's, where he built 70 McDonald's restaurants during his tenure. A seasoned operator, he has also served as COO for several publicly traded companies.

“We’ve enjoyed great success as part of the SONIC family, because we’ve taken this strong brand and focused on hiring passionate people to deliver an outstanding experience to our customers every day,” Kasey Suryan says. “We see such demand for SONIC that’s not being met today, and these new drive-ins will help us meet it.”